St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-28
MISSIONARY RIDGE.
That Famous Assault Without Or
ders Described by An Eye-Wit-


with small growth of timber. 1t was
wooded in front of the right of Baird S
and of the whole of Woods division.
In front of Sheridan's and Johnson's
it had been almost entirely cleared. AT
the foot of the ridge were heavy rifle
pits, which could be seen from Orchard
| Knob, and extending in front of them
for four and five hundred yards the
ground was covered with felled trees.
There was a good plain for both
direct and infilading fire from the rifle
| pits, and the approaches were com
manded by the enemy'S artillery. At
this point the ridge is 500 or 600 feet
high Its sides, scored with gullieS aud
showing but little timber, had rough
and bare appearance. Half way up was
another line of rifle pits, and the summit
was furrowed with additional lines, and
dotted over with epaulements, in which
We're placed fifty pieces of artillery.
The art OF man could not have made a
stronger fortress. Directly in front of
Orchard Knob, and on the summit of the
ridge, was small house, where Bragg
had established his headquarters.
AT $40 the signal guns were fired.
Suddenly 10000 men rushed forward,
moving in line of battle by brigades,
with double line of skirmiSherS in
front, and closely followed by the re-
serves in mass. The big siege guns in
the Chattanooga forts rOared above the
light artillery and musketry in the val
ley. The enemy's ritie-pits were ablaze;
Hnd the whole ridge in our front had
b oxen out like another Ktna. Not
many minutes atterWard our men
were seen working through the
felled trees and distractions.
Though exposed to such ter
rife fire, they neither fell back nor
halted. By a bold and desperate push
they broke through the works in several
places, and opened flank and reverse
fires. The enemy was thrown into con-
fusion, and took precipitate flight up
the ridge. Many prisoners and large
number of small arms were captured
The order of the commanding general
had been fully and most successfully
carried out. But it did not 90 far
enough to satisfy these brave men, who
thought the time had come to finish the
battle of Chickamauga. There was halt
of but few minutes, to take breath and
to reform lines; then, with sudden
impulse, all started up the side of the
ridge. Not a commanding officer had
given the order to advance. The men
who carried the muSketS had taken the
matter into their own hands, had moved
of their own accord. Officers, catching
their spirit, first followed, then led,
There was no thought of protecting
TANKS, though the enemy'S lines could
be seen, stretching beyond on either
side: there was no thought of support
or reserves.
LAS soon as this movement was seen
from Orchard Knob, Grant quickly
turned to Thomas, who stood by his
side, and heard him angrily say:
'FhomaS, who ordered those men up the
ridge9 Thomas replied in his usual
sloN, quiet manner: I don't know; |
did not Then addressing Gen. Gordon
up, Granger?' No. said Granger. they
started up without orders. When those
fellows get started all hell can't stop
Them Gen. Grant said something to
the effect that somebody would suffer
it it did not turn out well, and then,
turning round, stoically watched the
ridge. He gave no further orders.
''As soon as Granger had replied to
Thomas, he returned to me, his chief-Of-
staff, and said: Ride at once to Wood
and then to Sheridan, and ask them if
they ordered their men up the ridge,
and tell them, if they can take it, to push
ahead As L was mounting, Granger
added: 1T is hot over there, and you
may not get through. shall send Capt.
Avery to Sheridan, and other officers
after both Of yOu.' As fast as my horse
could carry me, L rode first to Gen.
Wood, and delivered the message.
1 didn't order them up said
Wood; 'they started up on their
own. account, and. they were going up
too! Tell Granger if we are supported
we will take And hold the ridge!' AS
soon as l reached Gen. Wood, Capt.
Avery got to Gen. Sheridan and deliv-
cred his message. Il didn't order them
up said Sheridan, but we are going to
take the ridge He then asked Avery
for his flask and waved it at a
group of Confederate officers, stand
ing just in front of Bragg's head
quarters, with the salutati0n, Here s
at YOU At once TWO guns-the
Lady Breckinridge' and the Lady
Buckner'- in front of Bragg's head
quarters were firde at Sheridan and the
group about him. One shell struck SO
near as to throw dirt over Sheridan and
Avery. 'Ah,' said the general. that is
ungenerouS; shall take those guns for
thatn Before Sheridan received the
message taken by Capt Avery he
had sent a staff officer to Gran
ger tO+inquire whether the order
given to take the rifle-pits
meant the ritie-pits at the base of
those on top of the ridge?' Granger told
this officer that the order given was to
take those at the base Conceiving this
to be an order to fall back, the officer.
on his way to Sheridan, gave it to Gen.
Wagner, commanding the second bri-
gade of the division, which was then
nearly half way up the ridge. Wagner
ordered this brigade back to the rifle
pits at the base, but it only remained
there till Sheridan, seeing the mistake,
ordered it forward. 1t again advanced
under terrific fire that was raking the
lower part of the ridge.
1.-The men, fighting and climbing up
the steep hill, sought the roads, ravines
and less rugged parts. The ground was
so broken that it was impossible to keep
a regular line of battle. At times their
movements were in shape like the fight
of migratory birdS-SOmetimeS in line,
sometimes in mass, mostly in V-shaped
groups, with the points toward the en-
envy. At these points regimental flags
were flying, sometimes dropping as
the bearers were shot, but never
reaching the ground, for other
brave hands were there TO
seize them. Sixty fl gS were advancing
UP the hill, in the faces of it's defenders.
Bragg was hurrying large bodies of men
from his right to the center. They could
be seen coming along the summit of the
ridge in doublequick time Cheatham's
division was being withdrawn from
Sherman's front. Bragg and Hardee
were at the center, doing their utmost to
encourage their troops, and urging them
to stand firm and drive back the advance
ing enemy, now SO near the summit
indeed, so near that the guns, which
could not be sufficiently depressed to
reach them, because useless. Artillery